I suspect that the lack of points earning at RC has a multitude of reasons:

- They are turning a tidy profit without having to offer rewards. Their typical guest isn't affected by downturns in the economy and cares much more about consistently outstanding service than they do about earning points.
- They actually want to discourage the typical points hound from staying there, as this is NOT the clientele they want filling their hotels. The people who complain about paying $10 for breakfast or internet access and feel a sense of entitlement by staying a few dozen nights a year would actually break the RC model, because they try so very hard to wildly satisfy every guest.
- Marriott doesn't want to deal with the headache of setting up another whole points and rewards scheme for another tier of properties. They are already getting all kinds of flak for the perks they offer frequent repeat guests all the way from the FI to the FS. They certainly wouldn't offer free upgrades to the club level, and that alone would create a firestorm here from those who feel their 50 nights at $60/night SHS entitle them to the world.

Sorry to sound harsh, but the downsides are huge and I see very little upside to Marriott. To those of you who say you'd be giving more business to RC if they offered points, are you instead taking your money to the Four Seasons or the Fairmont? I doubt it--more likely (given that you're posting here in the Marriott board, after all) you've just shifted your stays to the more downscale Marriott brands, which is right where they want those of us who care about things like points and perks.